Electric iron



A FLEMING ELECTRIC IRON.

Mar. 20, 1.923.

FILED FEB.10,1921

I mblw'lem c C f ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.

AMBROSE FIEMING, OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

ELECTRIC IRON.

Application led February 10, 1921. Serial No. 443,902.

andria, in the State of Virginia, have iii.

vented certain new and useful Improve- `ments in Electric Irons, of which the following is a specification. My invention has reference to improve ments applicable' to the conventional typesv of electric irons-and primarily it has for its purpose to provide certain simple and inexpensive current controlling devices, adapted to be readilyapplied tothe different forms of hand manipulated electric irons, for automatically cutting out the electric current when the iron is not. in actual use.

As is well known to users of electric irons, when it is desired to momentarily leave the iron set or, in other words, when the users attention is required for other purposes, unless the heating' element (the electric curi'ent) is cut off, the iron becomes excessively hot, scorches or otherwise injures the article being ironed and consumes unnecessary current', causing unnecessary expense as well as danger of the articles being burned.

My invention is primarily designed to overcome the objections noted by automatically cutting of the heating element to the iron, immediately when the user releases the hand hold and which, likewise restores the electric current as soon as the user again grasps the handle of the iron for resuming the operation `of ironing.

My invention further provides certain improved features, in the nature "of a simple means capable of being-conveniently adjusted for maintaining the circuit contacts in a closed relation without the necessity of maintaining a grip on the handle, especially when it is desired to heat up the cold iron to condition for ironing and which may be auto- -matically released as the user grips the handle forironing. v

With other minor objects in View .that will hereinafter be mentioned, my invention embodies, in current controlled devices for electric irons, the peculiar features of construction and novel combination of parts,

f ully explained in the following detailed description, as specically stated in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electr-ick sad iron with my improvements operatively applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a detail central longitudinal section of a portion thereof, on a somewhat enlarged scale, the operative or circuit closed position of the parts being shown in full lines and the inoperative vcurrent circuit open or broken position being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the switch lever, per se.

Figure 5 is a detail cross section of a portion of the sad iron handle and the auxiliary handle portion that is cooperative with the said handle.

Figure 6 is a detail section of the auxiliary handle pivot connectibn hereinafter spe-v cilically mentioned.

My invention has special reference to an improved construction of the plug connection that joins the body of the iron with the electric current cord which connects with an electric or current supplying socket since practically no change of the iron proper is necessary excepting in the wooden hand hold l that is formed with a narrow slot or socket 2 that extends the full length along the bottom thereof and which is preferably fitted with a T -shaped metal liner 3 to provide smooth side faces for the socket, the purpose of which will be presently explained.

4 5 designate the usual post terminals `'or short posts in electric connection with the base 6 of the iron and onto which the circuit closing devices are mounted, the peculiar construction of which and the means for effecting the positions thereof, constitute the essential feature of this invention.

-7 designates the lugcasing which' has the usual sockets for s idably engaging the post or terminals 4 and 5. The casing 7, which is composed of the usual insulation material, in my construction, has a central supplemental fsocket or chamber 7 0 which extends practically the full length thereof and which, at the side adjacent the rear one 8 of the handle brackets, is open, as at 71, for .the free play of a plunger device, which device, at predetermined times, as presently stated, pushes the circuit closing element 11 to the circuit closing position, indicated in full 'lines in Figure 2.

is xedly held in the outer wall of the casing 7 and with which the wire 9 joins, -as is'clearly shown in full lines on Figure 2 and in dott-ed lines Figure 3.

The plunger device, before referred to, consists 0f a rod 21, the rear end of which is shod with an insulatingcap 22 for engaging a knife blade switch member 11, said rod 21, is sldably mounted in a long sleeve bearing 12l on a hanger bracket 12 which is secured to the rear end of the handhold 1 by a screw rod 13 and nut 14 its forward end is adjustably connected to a shifting head block 15 which is upwardly and forwardly bevelled and has a pendent. which will appear lip 15a, the reason for later.

The knife blade switch lever 11, shown in detail in Figure 4, consists of. a long armlike member bifurcated and apertured at the lower end for pivotally engaging with a bracket bearing 16 that is detachably mounted within the lower end of the central socket or chamber 70 of the casing 7,' by a clamp nut 17.

The switch lever 11 includes a head 18 that is provided with a knife contact 19 adapted to engage a like face in the head of the fixed cont-act 10 when it is bodily moved by the shifting head block 15 in the direction indicated by the arrow on Figure 2, the said switch lever being normally swung back to the open or circuit breaking position, shown in dotted lines, Figure 2, by a coil spring 20 which engages a seat in the casing socket 70, as shown.

It is to be noted the plunger rod 21 has a threaded connection with the head block 15 to provide for making delicate adjustment of the parts when necessary.

y The lead wire 9 from the cord connects with the fixedly held contact member 10, as before stated, and the other lead 90 joins directlyv with the right hand contact sleeve which engages the post 5, and since the said lever 11 is in electrical connection with the left hand sleeve or post 4, as indicated by 23 on Figure 3, it follows that as the contact lever 11 is swung over to its full line position, as"v shown in Figure 2, the current is caused lto pass through `the lever to the left hand post 4 and thereby complete the current through t-he iron which will then be heated for use.

It will be clearly apparent, from Figure 2, that the normal position of the current closing devices is at the current breaking or open position, and therefore so long as the iron is left to stand free there will be passed to it and hence it remains tating the free rise or drop of the saidV members 35-36.

The auxiliary handle has a loose pivotal connection 38 at the front of the bottom of the main handle, so that as the user grips the handle the auxiliary member will be caused to swing upwardly from theposition shown in dotted lines to the full line position, as indicated in Figure 2.

It is this movement of the said auxiliary handle, in the forward direction," that causes the switch lever 1l to shift over to the full `line or circuit closing position, which is provided for by 'reason ofthe heel 39 of the auxiliary handle engaging the bevelled face ofthe head plug 15, it being obvious that when the grip member 35 is pressed upwardly, as a user grasps the handle 1, the said part 39 will force the head 15, together with its plunger pin 21, in the direction of the arrow and thereby move the switch 11 to the closed position, against the tension of the thrust back spring, whichposition of the parts is maintained so long as the user grips the handle 1.

Should, at any time, the user release the grip on the handle, t-he auxiliary member 35-36 would instantly swing down to the full line position in Figure 1, and the dotted position on Figure 2, and thus permit the' spring 20 to throw the switch lever 11 back to the dot-ted or circuit broken position, thereby cutting out the source of heat from the iron.

To provide for readily holding the parts to their circuit closing position at times when it isl desired to continue to heat the iron, and particularly when it is desired to heat up a cold iron, I provide a simple loop shaped catch 55 that pivotally engages the bracket Irbearing and is adapted for being pivotally swung over the lower or lip portion 15a of the head block 15, as shown in dotted lines on Figure 2, it being obvious that the spring tension that forces the switch lever and the plunger outwardly, will continue the locking engagement of the parts and thus provide for maintaining ycurrent through the iron for heating it when the grip member 35 is at the dropped or dotted position shown in Figure 2;

In practice the plunger 2l` has suiiicient play within the long bearing 12a, so that,

when the operator grasps the handle and moves member 35 up against the head block l there is suiiicient vertical play of the plunger rod l5 to thereby automatically release the catch 55 which then assumes its pendent or normal position, as indicated in full lines in Figures 2 and 5 and thus provides for free movement of the parts -15 for shifting the'switch lever 11 to the circuit closing or opening position.

As more or less pressure is imparted to the plug casing 7 in the shifting of the plum,- ger 21` I provide a simple means for locking the block against disarrangement under such pressure, such means comprising an angled member 65 that is attached to the head of the block and adapted to engage a flanged keeper 75 that is held onto the adjacent end of the handle, as shown.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, the complete construction, the manner of operation and the'advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to users of electric irons.

My improvement provides for positively cutting out the electric current whenever the user releases the iron, thereby effecting much saving in the use ot' the current and overheating the iron and. avoids burning the article on which the iron may be resting.

lVhile the means shown and described, il-

/ lustrate a simple and practical way of accomplishing the desired stated results I desire it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact arrangement of the parts and the details shown and described, Since they may be readily varied or modified to suit the particular pattern of electric iron to which my invention may befadapted, without departing from the broad features of my said invention as comes within the Scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In an electric iron having post terminals and a handle, the combination in a plug having electrically connected socketsl for slidably engaging said post terminals, of an elongated central chamber, a knife switch pivotally attached in the lower end thereof and having electrical connection with one socket, a knife contact element rigidly attached in the upper end thereof and having electrical connection with the other socket and coordinately positioned with the knife element of said knife switch, a spring adapted to hold the head of the knife switch away from the knife contact element and means on the handle of said iron for operating said knife switch against said spring to make electrical contact for the purpose described.

2. In an electric iron having a handle and post terminals the combination of an .electrically connected plug having a knife switch and means forslidably engaging said post terminals` an auxiliary handle for operating a movable head block and plunger adapted to operate a knife switch in said plug and make electrical connection to the heating elements of said iron, a partly circular ring member pivotally attached to the sleeve bearing of said head block plunger and a lip on said head block whereby said ring may hold said plunger against the knife switch in aforesaid plug for the purpose described.

3. The combination with a sad iron having the usual terminals for engaging with a circuit connecting plug; the said plug having the electric wire leads secured thereto, a fixed contact in connection with one of the wire leads, and a switch member normally held out of engagment with the aforesaid contact and. in connection with the other wire lead, and means comprising an auxiliary member attached to the handle of the iron' and adapted for being gripped as the user takes hold of the handle of the iron and for being moved toward the said handle, and a member shiftable by the said move-ment of the said auxiliary handle member and adapted when shifted to move the switch member into engagement with the aforesaid contact and thereby close the current from the supply to the iron for heating it.

4. In an electric` iron, a circuit closer including a pivoted contact makin switch, means tending to normally hold t e switch to the open position for cutting out the electric current to the iron, a plunger member engaging the free endl of the said switch and a movable member attached to the iron adapted when the handle ofthe iron is grasped to effect movement of the plunger whereby to move the contact making switch to the circuit closing osition.

AMBIOSE FLEMING. l 

